Land reclamation is perceived among the key activities the Union of Agricultural Work Committee (UAWC) implements due to its importance in promoting the Palestinian farmers’ struggle on their land.

Reclamation also protects Palestinian land from confiscation, as most of the projects are undertaken in Area C, which is under complete Israeli control.

The reclamation process includes, levelling and tiling, in addition to building retaining walls to preserve the land and prevent soil erosion, paving the way to plant these lands with different crops.

This type of project and infrastructure connects residential communities through building relations and facilitating product marketing.

Ubai Al-Aboudi, the Evaluation and Monitoring officer at UAWC, told Palestine Monitor: “We are mostly working with small farmers in Palestine, we provide the farmers with workshops to reconnect to their lands. We introduce them to new technics so they can be proactive and claim back their lands by cultivating them. We also work in the Gaza Strip with fishermen and farmers.”

Sbeh Abu Ahmad, a local farmer from Aqraba, applied to the project last year. He was accepted, among 25 others farmers in the region. “My land wasn’t fit for farming, I just started 6 month ago and now I already have watermelons growing in my land. I am growing almonds, peas and beans. It is a good income for us, it helps us providing for our family,” Abu Ahmad told Palestine Monitor while walking through his land.